Seasons
by Kurosu
Summary: AU, MayuLoki. Perhaps in another lifetime... with the curtains of night falling upon the grand stage of the world, and with the sounds of distant life lingering in the past and the hopes of a tomorrow awaiting, two lovers stood together beneath the painted skies of white flakes.
1. Spring

**- Disclaimer:** _Matantei Loki Ragnarok_ belongs to Kinoshita Sakura.

I recommend that you listen to Ayumi Hamasaki's "Honey" when reading this story, because I did and I felt so happy and warm!

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**Seasons: Spring**

**Under the Cherry Blossoms**

written by Kurosu

The day had started out nice and cool, a slight breeze wafted through the quiet afternoon with the sun still climbing the clear skies, soon bathing the earth in its warmth. The petals of the cherry blossom trees fluttered through the air, twirling about in the wind like a final dance nearing the end of their existence. Such a small and lovely thing to behold in one's hand, the _sakura_ petal, its life was delicate and fleeting.

People often believed this particular flower symbolized the life of a person - born beautifully in to the world, gently growing and blossoming to its full potential, but eventually death comes to all, however short and unexpected.

He always thought it was a tragedy that humans had such a strange fascination with life and death, yet he couldn't deny the idealistic beauty attached to it, using one of the most fragile blossoms as an allegory. He shouldn't even be thinking about morose things when the breathtaking sight before him was a rare moment, mesmerized by ethereal shower of pink upon the earth.

Entranced by the aerial waltz, he stood still and quietly, not wanting to disturb the once in a lifetime performance that the heavens seemed to have graced him. Even his faithful pet in the form of a cute, black puppy had agreed, settling comfortably in his spot, finding fascination of the petals falling all around him.

A single petal found its way down upon his nose, curious eyes crossed, attempting to get a glimpse of this strange thing that now sat on at the end of his snout. He tried to paw at it, unintentionally knocking it away and on to the ground. He stared at it and sniffed at the remains of a flower, a slight irritation that it was no longer moving about like before.

His owner smiled and chuckled at the curiosity of the puppy, and when the main display of petals had died out, drifting to the ground, all around him, he began to resume the walk again, through the endless array of cherry blossom trees in the park.

"Let's go, Fenrir," he called out to the semi-preoccupied puppy, who soon followed his master upon hearing his voice.

Fenrir trotted happily after the young man, eventually catching up to the his side and then sprinted ahead again. When there was a bit of a distance between the two, the puppy would linger about, exploring his surroundings with his eyes until his master had caught up, and he would repeat their little dance again, never tired of their daily routine, but today felt a bit different than before, a tingling sensation with his sixth sense that some animals had. He sniffed the air, absentmindedly pawing the ground in one spot, and noted his master had abruptly stopped and stared at something in the distance.

The young man moved again, steps a bit hurried this time towards a certain cherry blossom tree, because he had spotted some movements within the flowery branches, and as he neared it, he could vividly see a teenage girl crawling up one of the thicker branches. He rushed forward, panicking inwardly at the dangerous position she had put herself in, but tried not to lose composure because he might suddenly scare the girl causing her to fall.

He stood beneath the tree, gazing upwards to the girl, wondering if she would realize that she had an audience or how he should approach without startling her. His mind processed the image of her, starting with her long, shimmering, pink hair billowing in the breeze, a few petals caught in the silky strands, and she didn't seem to mind, her eyes focused on something else.

She had a youthful profile, bright and unmarred by the stresses of life, and he could see the pinkness of her tongue peeking between her plump lips as she concentrated on reaching her hand out to the smaller branches above her. With a huff of frustration and a crinkle of her nose, she retracted her hand, latching on to the big branch she sat on, and inched slowly and carefully forward. She adjusted her legs until her feet steadily braced the strength of the branch, in a squatting position, as a hand grabbed hold of a different branch off to her right, to secure her balance.

He finally coughed, seeing that she was at least careful with her risky position and because she was wearing a skirt of all things when dangerously climbing a tree. He had glanced away to avoid staring like a pervert as he shouted to her, "Hey! That's dangerous!"

She appeared to have ignored him, standing up, a bit shaky at first but was able to find the confidence to push herself forward. Her attention was up ahead, the red scarf entangled with in the flowers' stems and leaves. She was determined to get her hands on it, and with her fingers mere centimeters away, she just had to take a few more careful steps.

He couldn't understand why she was doing all this for one silly scarf that she could easily be replaced - perhaps with a week's worth of allowance, not that he knew what teenager's assets were these days. He nervously averted his eyes every time they fell upon her again, for fear of unintentionally peeking at her skirt, or what was under it, though he was more worried for her safety.

"Just be careful," he reminded her, feeling the strange dread in his chest with each beating second, wondering if she really heard him. He looked to the ground, rubbing his face, not sure why he held such strong emotions for a stranger, beyond the typical humanitarian response for another human being.

With one swift move, she snatched the end of the scarf and smiled brightly at the successful rescue of her precious belonging. She rubbed the silkiness of the red material against her cheek and then retreated back to the safer end of the branch, and when she looked down, she saw a young man sighing with much relief and waved to him, giving him a better view of her lovely face.

His heart skipped a beat at the brillance of her smile that greeted him, but he still couldn't believe the nerve of this girl, to be smiling like that to a stranger like him, as if they had been friends running in to each other. There was just something about her that bothered him yet at the same time, piqued his interest, and he couldn't even tear his gaze away from her, focused on that heart-shaped face, instead of the short skirt.

Still grinning, she spoke to him, "I finally got it!"

Her voice wasn't too high-pitched, like the normal teenagers that gave him deaf-induced moments when they were in the vicinity, but it wasn't the soft, gentle kind either. He would like to classify it with its own category of carefree wonderment that he found rather attractive and would like to hear more of.

"Ah, that's not the problem," he started, "You shouldn't be wearing a skirt, in trees."

"Oh!" she looked at herself, as if finally realizing how inappropriate it was for her with her outfit of a creamy-colored camisole with a deep shade of ruby sweater and a floral printed skirt. "It's okay though!" she chirped, "I always wear my gym shorts underneath!"

He sweatdropped at her unusual reply and sighed, "What a strange girl you are."

"Thanks!" she beamed, believing that he had just complimented her, as she wrapped the vermillion scarf around her neck, making sure that it was secure this time.

He shook his head at another unexpected response from her and told her, "Come down before you get hurt."

She looked around, seeing that it was quite a ways back down, and pouted, "Hmm, climbing up was easy, but how should I get down?"

His left eye began twitching, "Ha? So, you're the type that doesn't think things through!"

She decided to just sit there for a bit, adjusting herself till her bottom was firmly on the branch and her legs dangled over the side. She had one hand on the trunk of the tree and the other one planted at her side, laughing down to him, and he found the sound of her voice ringing pleasantly in his ears.

"You sound like my papa!" she giggled.

Her words, on the other hand, were insulting though, and he retorted, "I'm not that old! At least, not old enough to be a father!" Then he added, "I'm probably five or six years older than you."

"Really?" she grinned, "I'm seventeen!"

"Never mind," he grumbled darkly, "I'm nine years older then."

She laughed again, the twinkling sound of her voice actually brought a little smile to his face, "Thanks for thinking I look mature!"

He didn't seem to mind that they were conversing like this, she sitting in a tree while he was standing on the ground, gazing up to her. It may have looked silly to outsiders, but they felt oddly comfortable with it, and he soon was grinning at her too, "You may look mature, but you're still acting like a child." He gestured his right hand up to her, "You're climbing trees and laughing so freely without any worries."

She stuck her tongue out at him, childishly proving his point, playfully being offended, but he could see it in her sparkling, crimson eyes that it was anything but insulting to her, and he couldn't help but laugh at her level of maturity.

"If it makes you feel better," she returned to smiling, and he wondered if she ever got tired of it, "I thought you were younger anyway. It helps that you're good-looking too!"

He suddenly found himself blushing from her words, looking away to hide the pink tint of his cheeks, because he normally didn't get so bashful from just a few nice compliments from women. He was usually the one to entice women with his sweet, seductive words, but this weird girl was making him unexpectedly shy, from her sincere words to the gentle expressions she gave him.

He coughed, trying to shake all those silly thoughts away, and told her, "I'll help you out of the tree."

She tilted her head to the side, with an index finger at her chin as if she was thinking, "Are you going to get a ladder?"

"That's too much work," he sighed, "I live about twenty minutes away."

He didn't want to go find a ladder and lug it around like a moron, so the next best thing was just him. He held out his arms up to her and smiled when she blinked adorably, confusion written all over her face, at his outstretched hands towards her.

He chuckled, "I'll catch you."

"Okay!"

He arched his brows in surprise, completely taken aback by her quick answer and radiant smile, that fully trusted him, a mere stranger, with her own safety. Everything about this girl was just flabbergasting, filled with surprises at every corner, and he felt himself falling further and further in to her amazing world, but he had to quickly return to reality because she had just pushed herself off the branch.

His green eyes widened in shock, because she really took the plunge without warning, and she was falling towards him. He braced himself, sort of catching her, but due to her sudden weight, he lost his balance, his footing slipped, and both crashed to the ground, creating a two-person pile of a mess.

She was lucky he was a nice cushion, smiling and apologizing in between her fits of laughter for topping him over, still sitting inappropriately on his lower half, not that she even realized it nor he did yet.

He sweatdropped, propping himself up by the elbows, and said, "You weigh more than you look."

"Ah! That's mean!" she pouted, bottom lip protruding cutely, and he could see that he had hit a sore spot, to which he just couldn't help but laugh at. She leaned forward and lightly smacked him in the chest for the insult, making him finally notice their position.

He looked away, sighing, "Do you mind getting off me now?"

"Aha, sorry!" she grinned and quickly got off him and stood up straight. She then offered her hand to him, which he gladly excepted, and their feet were finally on solid ground, properly speaking to each other now, but her attention had already focused elsewhere, like the cute puppy at his side.

She knelt down to the animal and petted his head, "And who's this cute fellow?"

"You're such a strange girl," he remarked again, "His name is Fenrir."

She laughed, "You're the strange one! You gave this puppy such a weird name."

He shrugged, "Fenrir is the name of a great wolf in Norse mythology." He watched her reaching both hands out to the puppy and warned her, "Be careful, he doesn't take kindly to strangers." Ever since he had Fenrir in his care, the puppy just refused all sorts of people, biting and or barking to make them stay away from him, but made an exception for himself. Though right now, he didn't need Fenrir to add another person to his list of casualties.

The girl, ignoring his warning, just dove right in and picked up the inquisitive-looking puppy, who apparently was not attacking her at all, just staring at the bizarre person in front of him, the one who managed to wrap his master around her finger despite him not knowing, himself. She held him close to her face, letting the small creature peer in to the depths of her warm, ruby orbs, as if searching for something deep within her, and he suddenly barked, tail wagging happily.

"I like you too, Fenrir!" she smiled.

Seeing that his pet had no qualms with the girl, he found the situation rather weird that Fenrir had actually allowed another person to hold him - even his own assistant had made it out of the first meeting with a few scratches - but maybe Fenrir liked cute, high school girls. He laughed inwardly at the silly thought because they had met a variety of people during their many walks, and no one had been able to tame the independent Fenrir like this girl had.

She nuzzled Fenrir against her cheek, "You're such a good boy."

He watched her cuddle the puppy a bit more, very friendly in his eyes, and suddenly felt a twitch of his hand by his side. He just had the urge to want to take Fenrir out of her hands and replace her hold with something more appropriate, like his own hand, maybe. He couldn't quite understand where this sudden jealousy over his pet had come from, and he didn't get much time to dwell on it, when her voice brought him back to reality.

"Ne, do you think Fenrir will become a wolf one day?"

He sighed at her silly question, "He's just a normal dog."

She looked at Fenrir again, her smile widening, "I believe Fenrir will be the greatest wolf in all of the worlds!"

The puppy barked happily as if agreeing with her statement, which really amazed his master at the adorable interaction between the two. What was it about this girl that also charmed the most disagreeable, headstrong and uncooperative dog in the world, even though he could tell that she had a certain quality about her to attract people. Whether it was her cheerful innocence or the friendliness of her voice or the penetrating look she gave that made one feel special in the world, he couldn't pinpoint it exactly.

"Ah!" she squealed.

He blinked at her, "What's wrong?"

"After all this talking, we still don't know each other's names."

"How silly," he chuckled, but it was true, "My name is Loki."

"Lo-ki," she smiled, testing the flow his name, which sounded sweet coming from her mouth. "It's not a Japanese name, so..." she furrowed her brows adorably in thought, "it's from Norse mythology too, ne?"

His smile grew, acknowledging that her guess was correct, though he was more curious about the girl in front of him, wanting to know what sort of name this strange, silly girl had.

"And yours?" he prodded, trying not to sound impatient.

Fenrir licked her face, tickling her skin, and her name slipped in between her melodious laughter, "Mayura!"

Loki didn't believe in fate, creating his life with his own hands, but Mayura, on the other hand, charged confidently down her path of destiny, but they shared a knowing smile. This encounter between them was meant to be, like pieces of a puzzle falling in to the right places, with its meaning eventually being revealed.

In another lifetime - without any gods, without any mysteries, without any sad endings - they met under different circumstances, during one beautiful afternoon, beneath a cherry blossom tree.

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**Notes:** This short piece came to me while I was working on the latest chapter of _Ah, My Loki-sama!_ and had to write it. Blame it on all the _shoujo_ manga that I've read - I can be such a romantic sap sometimes. And I felt like doing something with the seasons, so this came about... I have an outline for summer and a vague idea for autumn, but don't hold your breath for the next installment, lol. -kuro.


	2. Summer

**- Disclaimer:** _Matantei Loki Ragnarok_ belongs to Kinoshita Sakura.

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**Seasons: Summer**

**A Seaside Rendezvous**

written by Kurosu

Loki shielded his eyes from the bright morning sun beaming down on him, as if welcoming him out in to the world of splendors, and wondered what he had gotten himself in to when he made the promise to a certain pink-haired girl that pretty much fell in to his life. He sighed and opened the car door to the backseat to grab his overnight bag. He petted Fenrir, who stared at his master curiously, wondering why he wasn't being taken along. The door shut again, and the puppy hurried to the window, standing on his hind legs to see what was happening outside the vehicle.

"Don't worry, Loki-san," a smiling Yamino Ryuusuke, in the driver's seat, reassured his boss, "I'll take care of Fenrir. So please, have a good time on your weekend date."

"It's not a date!" he groaned, refraining himself from slapping his forehead, "It's just... 'quality time' as Mayura puts it."

He ran his hand through his golden hair, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration at having to even admit that the girl could weasel anything out of him, but as he thought about recent events, he had been too preoccupied with work and she, too, with her semester exams, "I guess we've both been too busy to spend time together."

Yamino chuckled in to his fist, enjoying the flustered side of Loki that only Mayura could induce, but would still like to keep his job so he preferred to keep those thoughts to himself. "Either way," he smiled, trying to hide any further giggles, "it's about time you took a weekend off, Loki-san. You've been working too hard."

"Whatever," a grumpy Loki sighed, not liking that even his assistant was treating him like a child, but if it would get Yamino off his case and make Mayura less naggy, he guessed he could deal with the sun and sand for two days.

She had come by a week ago to his office and insisted that he come to the beach with her, since they hadn't been hanging out like recently, but her schedule had conflicted with his, so instead of actually bailing out of it altogether, he was conned in to the weekend vacation by her puppy-dog eyes and honey-filled words. He still wasn't sure how she continually manage to get him wrapped up in her crazy adventures and speed of life, but he didn't dislike it either.

It was just the opposite, but he wasn't going to let her know that, if ever - he needed an upper hand in something.

"Loki~!"

Speaking of the devil-or-angel girl, whichever he deemed her to be in the moment, he could hear her cheerful voice in the distance, sometimes reverberating in his head, and glanced to his right. Coming down the sidewalk, she was jogging towards them, parked on the curb of the road, carrying a large tote bag. Her bright red, two-piece swimsuit nearly caused him to nosebleed, not having seen so much skin on her before, and the unzipped hoodie appeared to have been thrown on as an afterthought, which he was thankful for, covering some parts of her, if not by much.

He noticed the many turns of male heads in her direction when she passed by, not liking their lecherous stares at all, and wished she would hurry to his side for protection. He would've made his way to her and forcefully zipped up her hoodie, like the oblivious person that she was, if she hadn't closed the space between them within seconds.

Mayura stood shoulder to shoulder next to him, and he spared the still ogling boys a dark glare, forcing them to find another interest, before turning his attention to the troublesome girl, who was grinning brightly. He still had the urge to zip up her hoodie, as pleasant as the view was from his front row seat, and mentally reminded himself to not stare and be such a creep, like those other fools around her.

"Loki-kun! Yamino-san!" she greeted them happily.

She bowed to the young man in the car, which caused Loki to arch a brow and ask, "Why don't you give me the same respect you give to Yamino?"

She looked over to him, sticking out her tongue at him, "Yamino-san is more mature and treats me like a lady!"

Her comment earned a chuckled from Yamino, who was four years his junior, at her playful honesty and a bop to her head from a miffed Loki, not needing to be reminded that he was older than both of them. She rubbed her head and ducked away from another possible attack, laughing unbashfully at his apparent misery with age.

She inched her way over to the car, towards the backseat to pet Fenrir, and cooed, "Aw, I wish you could come with us, Fenrir!"

"He doesn't like the heat very much," Loki explained, with some discomfort, wiping the sweat from his face, as he readjusted his hold on his bag and eventually slipped an arm through one strap, carrying it over his shoulder.

"Just like his owner!" she giggled.

The blonde blinked, momentarily puzzled, and opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but Yamino had intercepted any possible flirt fest between the two, because he needed to go before any actual flirting began - he and Fenrir didn't need to be the third wheels - informing them that he would return tomorrow evening to pick them up for the trip home.

"Thank you, Yamino-san," she bowed again, "Be safe! And have a good weekend too!"

Yamino waved and drove off, with her voice shouting after the car, "Don't worry! I'll take good care of Loki-kun!"

Loki glared at the girl for insinuating that he needed someone to look after him like a child, which ought to be the other way around, considering what a hand full this teenager was, having yet to hit adulthood. He hated to think what would happen after she graduated from high school, when she would be fair game, and why was he even thinking about such things. To him, she was still a child and forever be one - at least that was what he kept telling himself - but it was very obvious that her beautiful body was that of a young woman.

"Ne Loki-kun," her voice drew him out of his weird thoughts, "Yamino-san is a good driver, so why don't you learn from him?"

He sighed, "We've tried it, but I get too anxious behind the wheel." He didn't need to tell her that he failed the driving exam seven times already, which he really should have given up after the third try - three strikes and one's out!

"It's fine to let Yamino do the driving," he waved the topic off casually and started walking with her to the beach.

Mayura suddenly made a weird face of puzzlement that he didn't catch, since he was gazing across the sands towards the open waters. He couldn't remember the last time he was at the beach, never was a fan of the sand and water, but he somehow just gave in when Mayura brought it up. Next time, he would be choosing their next trip. He grimaced inwardly at the thought of even going on another trip with her, but then he couldn't imagine doing these things with anyone else besides her.

"Then," he heard her speak again, "how would you go on dates then?"

"What?"

He sometimes wondered how he was able to follow any of their conversations, jumping from one subject to another as if she couldn't hold her attention long enough on one. As far as he knew, she was doing surprisingly well in school, with her plans to one day be a great detective like him, but he was more of a private investigator and consultant. Still, it was very flattering, but he preferred that she chose a more safer career?

"Like, wouldn't it be weird to have Yamino-san drive you and your date around?" she sounded obviously curious about his social welfare, not that he minded for some reason.

"What's wrong with it?"

He honestly had no idea why that would matter, even though he never had Yamino do that for him, but he guessed it would be awkward for his assistant to be his private chauffer too while Loki and his date were in the back seat, uncomfortable with a third person in the matter. He sweatdropped, having understood what she meant, but still, his lacking the ability to legally drive was never an issue, for his daily business life nor his personal one, not that he had much of a personal life anyway.

It must be why he was willing to come with her to the scorching beach, besides her insistence, to retrieve some sort of life back, but the laughter from his partner didn't comfort him at all. He sweatdropped at her as she bent over, laughing to her heart's content at the hilarious image of what had transpired in his head earlier, and since this was Mayura, he knew how crazy and wild her imagination could get.

She once asked him if he ever had cases on aliens before, and he kept telling her that such things didn't exist, nor ghosts, nor gods, but she was such a persistent girl. Her interest in the supernatural stemmed from her childhood, after losing her mother to illness. She swore she had spoken to her mother, days later after the death and funeral, and they had promised to see each other again, one day in the future.

It was a touching story, as he recalled the hopeful, faraway expression in her eyes, and he couldn't deny her that pleasant memory, despite the fact that he didn't believe in such things. He was a man of logic and facts, with the belief in himself and his abilities to rationalize things - there was always an explanation for everything. Perhaps because of this part of him, he found her idealism and optimistic nature very refreshing and inviting in to his life.

He stopped walking, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder, and folded his arms over his chest. He rolled his eyes at her silliness and waited for her to calm down. Mayura straightened up, attempting to stifle the rest of her giggles, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Sorry, Loki-kun!" she tried to apologize, but she just sounded too gleeful and insincere for him to accept her apology.

He turned away from her, shaking his head and dropping his arms to his side, and resumed walking in silence, but with her, he could never get a moment of peace because she came springing at him from behind and glomping his arm, hugging it to her chest, sounding desperate, "Mou Loki-kun! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to laugh. I... wasn't laughing at you! I promise! So don't be angry! Please!"

She peered up to him shyly, like a kitten who really learned her lesson, and he was too stunned by the adorable sight of her to even feign anger, quickly nodding and averting his eyes to the landscape. She squeezed his arm again, happy that he had forgiven her, and continued to hold him in such a way that he felt the heat of the sun hitting his face ten-fold. He tried not to think about his contact against a certain body part of hers, but it was difficult to push the image from his mind.

"To make up for it, I'll find you a date!" she chirped, too enthusiastic for his taste and not to mention it wasn't something he wanted at the moment, "There are a lot of pretty ladies at the beach."

She was looking around for a few when he glanced down at her, a bright smile on her lips and mischief in her eyes, "You're playing matchmaker? I thought you wanted to spend time with me."

"Hmm?" she thought about it for a second then beamed sweetly, a toothy smile, "He~h, how about both?"

It was his turn to grin, "Oh? So... you're saying that you'll be dating me?"

She stared at him, blinking, letting his words soak in to her brain, and then there were times when she was adorably slow that it was fun to tease her. He rapped his knuckles gently on her head, still grinning, "Ma-yu-ra~! Loki to Mayura! Come in, please."

He then flicked her forehead playfully, "Still with me here?"

"Eh!" She was completely taken by surprise, her thoughts obviously befuddled in her cute noggin, and his grin widened when she pouted, "Loki-kun is such a kidder! You shouldn't tease like that, or else..."

Her sentence trailed off quietly, as her hands holding on to his arm gradually gave him some slack, eventually slipping away to give him space, but his hand, like a mind of its own, had grabbed her wrist and held on to her, surprising her as much as it did himself. But he just didn't want to lose her warm, soft touch yet, and the way she had left her words unfinished didn't sit well with him, because he wanted to know. He had to know what she thought of him, what she felt for him.

"Or else...?" he prodded, the eagerness in his emerald eyes spoke volumes, and she, for once, looked away from him, her cheeks tinged with pink.

"Or else... Or else you'd be known as a player!" she lifted her bemused eyes to him, giggling, and lightly punched him in the shoulder, "We can't have Loki-kun with that kind of reputation!"

Loki sweatdropped, and for some reason, his heart had just fallen through several levels of hope and in to annoyance and maybe some depression, all well hidden behind his mask of indifference, but she didn't pull her hand away from his hold, waving a scolding finger of her free hand at him, "Hitting a girl's head isn't nice either, and it really hurts when you flick my forehead too!"

She rubbed the little, sore spot in the middle of her forehead for emphasis - talk about exaggeration, she was the queen of it. There was something about the playfulness of her tone and the mischief dancing in her eyes that he found quite endearing and brought a smile to his face, earlier discomfort and strange uneasiness in his chest forgotten.

He leaned slightly over to her, shoulders touching once more, as he smiled smugly with his suggestion, "Hm, I can kiss it all better for you."

Her joyful laughter resounded sweetly in his ears, "Loki-kun sounds like my papa now!"

"You know how to ruin the mood," he flatly told her and pulled away, mumbling to himself, "Thank god we don't look father and daughter."

But he was curious though as to how outsiders saw them - what did they look like together?

During their walk along the beach, he felt her hand shift against his and found her fingers weaving through his own, bringing a soft smile to his face. He ignored the odd flutter whirling in his stomach and the unsettling increase of his heart rate, believing the hot temperature was the cause of weird symptoms, and focused on their hands clasped securely together.

She sped up and pulled him towards the edge of the beaches, only a few meters from the waves washing ashore.

After finding a good spot on the beach, she dropped her bag and his hand, and he joined her too, as she rummaged through her belongs for a blanket. She then laid it out across the sand, smoothing out the edges, and it was large enough for two. She patted for him to sit, down and he did, suddenly remembering that she had arrived a few days ago with her friends and asked, "Where is everyone else?"

"Hm?" she joined him on the blanket, pulling up her hair in to a high ponytail, "Oh. They left earlier this morning, had to catch the train back home."

He rested his arms across his knees, looking at her slyly, "Oh? Did they really despise meeting me?"

"Huh?" she blinked at him, "Of course not! Kakinouchi-kun's relatives are visiting this weekend, and Narugami-kun... I'm not sure, but Kakinouchi-kun insisted that they all return..."

Loki tried not to laugh, recalling what she said of her classmates, from the student council vice president Kakinouchi-kun to the _kendo_ captain Narugami-kun, two male classmates who were obviously crushing on this clueless pink-haired girl, and he sort of pitied the two young men. He rested the side of his face over his arms, gazing at the talkative girl, her ponytail bounced every time she made a wild gesture.

"And Skuld-chan had to help her sisters, something about a big wedding. But she really wanted to meet you the most!"

She laughed, stretching her legs in front of her, "I think she fell in love with you!"

He arched a brow in amusement and chuckled, "What if I had a terrible personality? Or not good-looking enough for her?"

Mayura stared at him, wearing the 'are you crazy, have you looked at yourself in the mirror at all' expression, and then smiled confidently, "Don't worry, I've said good things about you! Though you could loosen up once in a while. Sometimes you're so serious you look constipated, heheh."

He snapped his head up at her remark, "I do not look constipated!"

He lunged for her, grabbing her cheeks, and tugged on them, but she wailed in protest, wrestling with his hands, trying to pull them off her face, but he was relentless when he wanted to punish her for her transgressions against him, even if in jest. She squeaked, surprised, falling back from his sudden weight against her, on to the blanket, with his grinning face lingering above her, his body half draped over hers.

The palms of her hands pressed against his shoulder as she pouted, "Mou Loki-kun! This bullying of girls is unacceptable!"

He stared down at her, his smirk still upon his face, his hands placed on either side of her head to prop himself up, over her defenselessness, and he enjoyed her own hands reacting to him, fingers unconsciously gripping the fabric of his shirt. His green eyes roamed over every inch of her face, imprinting all of her delicate features in to his mind - from her glossy pink lips and her small, pointed nose to her beautiful, mesmerizing eyes and flawless, fair skin - not the first time he was doing this, but there was something different in that moment between them.

He wasn't sure what it was, but it was not in his character to bully and tease just anyone, "There's only one exception."

With his eyes locked on hers, his right hand moved towards the bundle of her hair and yanked on the ribbon holding it together, letting her pink, silky tresses loose, fanning around her head. A small gasp escaped her lips, surprised at his actions, and her innocent confusion was irresistible, like a fallen angel stranded in an unknown world, but the gentleness of her eyes had accepted him.

Half leaning down, half being pulled towards her, he could see nothing else within his vision except for the girl in front of him, the distance between them closing, diminishing to the sweet taste of her lips.

Ever since their first meeting that one spring afternoon, he knew she was special. But that particular morning, by the lovely seaside where they had promised to meet, she would become more than special to him, something that he couldn't explain but felt it had been written between them a long time ago.

* * *

**Notes:** Now I'm happy with this! I originally had a different ending that involved them meeting up with Mayura's friends, but this story is about the two of them, not them and her friends, lol. Curse all these clichéd _shoujo_ moments swarming in my head! *shakes her fist in to the air*

Anyway, I'm sorta procrastinating with _Ah, My Loki-sama!_ *sweatdrops and runs away* -kuro.


	3. Autumn

**- Disclaimer:** _Matantei Loki Ragnarok_ belongs to Kinoshita Sakura.

* * *

**Seasons: Autumn**

**Rainy Day Confessions**

written by Kurosu

One late afternoon, Loki poured over the files of a particularly difficult case across his desk. His office was small but neat and tidy, all thanks to his assistant Yamino, with enough room for his desk and chair positioned in front of the only large window, his back facing the world. A wooden cabinet and two aged bookshelves, anchored on either side of it, were along the adjacent wall to his right, while on the opposite wall was a simple four-foot long buffet that displayed an antique tea set, and a pot of leafy plant sat next to it.

It pretty much was his simple, personal space for work and other private stuff like thinking undisturbed, and very rarely did he entertained guests and clients there, when the outer room was set for just that, which was also Yamino's designated location.

Though the extra chair, with a maroon, geometrical design cushion, in the corner of the room spoke of a quiet exception to his personal space, having been reserved for a certain pink-haired teenager that had bulldozed in to his life.

Having been too immersed in his work, he didn't notice the darkening of the scenery outside his office, where clouds gathered in to thick bunches, and soon the soft sounds plattered against the glass pane, garnering his attention. He paused and glanced over his shoulder to see the light drizzle of rain. His expression fell from indifference to worry as he thought about his one visitor that would be drenched from the weather if she decided to drop by and hoped that she knew better and went straight home instead.

He returned to the papers in front of him, but he couldn't help but worry over the girl, knowing that she was stubborn and rarely listened to any reason, especially if it came from him. He eyed the cell phone at the corner of his desk, wondering if he should call her to tell her not to stop by because of the rain, but he did want to see her too, when he had just seen her the other day.

His hand stopped halfway across his desk, intended on grabbing the phone, but he berated himself over the silly matter of just seeing her. It was best that she didn't get sick, which would leave an absence in his office, and life, for much longer than a day, so perhaps just hearing her voice would reassure him a bit that she was still a part of his world.

He finally took the phone just as a knock rapped upon his door and Yamino's head poked inside, "Loki-san, is there anything else that needs to be done?"

Loki looked at the clock that was right above the door, just realizing that it was the end of their work day, which meant that Mayura was later than usual, so he was justify in his worry. This always happened when he was in deep thought about something, time flying by and the world kept spinning without pause, and he sometimes felt like he was trapped in some sort of timeless vacuum.

"No, I'll be fine," he shook his head, retracting the hand with the phone to his side, "It shouldn't take me much longer here, so why don't you head home first."

His assistant, ever so hesitant and doubtful, but Loki always insisted, sometimes sending him home earlier because the young man was beyond punctual to work, arriving thirty minutes or sometimes an hour earlier than need be. If he left now, right on time as his scheduled work hours dictated, he would be leaving Loki in the office alone, working overtime like usual.

"You know I don't like to repeat myself," he kept a stern face but was quite mirthful under the surface, from seeing the dark horror that befell the man's face, as if he was about to violate his boss' commandment.

"A-All right," Yamino reluctantly nodded, "Have a good evening, Loki-san, and a good weekend too."

"Thank you, and you too."

After the door closed, Loki smiled, a thumb running over the keys of his phone while his other hand twirled the pen, without the intention of returning to his files all - never mind that he was a workaholic - since the work day was technically over. He listened for the faint traces of Yamino's footsteps, followed by the opening and closing of the outer door, before he looked at his phone, his smile grew wider at the wallpaper image of her pressed against his side, holding up her hand in a 'V' sign, with him looking rather annoyed and vaguely smiling, as they took the snapshot together.

He rarely used his phone for anything besides contacting clients, so he had no clue about operating the applications and gadgets that a mobile phone apparently offered. It was her idea to mess around with his phone, not that he minded, and he pressed the number two for quick assess to dialing her number, which she was responsible for. He listened to the dial tone and then the ringing, but she didn't answer, going to her voice mail.

He disliked voice mails for the sole reason of knowing some possible crazy person was in possession of recordings of his voice, but she was the exception. He left a simple, curt words for her to go home and call him when she received the message. He hung up and dropped the phone on to the pile of papers, leaning back in his chair to gaze up at the white ceiling. After a few minutes, he spun his seat around, so he could see how bad the weather had become, because the raindrops were hitting the window in spades now, and he frowned.

He hated to think that Mayura could be caught in this horrible downpour and stood up by the window, wondering when the madness would end. He sighed, not wanting to walk home in the rain either, even with an umbrella, and the weather was just too depressing, which would have been perfect to have Mayura around because she could easily cheer him up with just her presence.

Speaking of the girl, he noticed the blur of a familiar pink color with a specific school uniform streaking across the street. He frowned and bit back a small curse, rushing out of his office to the front door. He could already hear the hurried footsteps coming up the stairwell as he flung the door aside, immediately met by a surprised, drenched Mayura staring at the opened doorway. Her chest contracted and expanded quickly, with heavy breaths and a flushed face from all the running, and he immediately pulled her inside the building, closing the door after her with a loud slam.

Neither had yet to speak a word as he ushered her over to the couch and sat her down. She was still trying to steady her breathing when he disappeared in to the bathroom briefly and returned with some dry towels. He dropped one in her lap while another fell on her head, covering half her face. She lifted one end from her eyes, peeking nervously up to see his very upset face, and he told her, "You're an idiot."

Mayura pulled the towel off her head and pouted, "Is it stupid that I just wanted to see you?"

She looked away and started to dry her hair off while he stood their for a moment, contemplating an answer to her rhetoric question, but all he could say was something unrelated to it, "Just get dry before you get sick.

"You should've at least waited out the rain for a bit," he sighed and started to move towards his office, leaving her to make a deep hum sound akin to annoyance. He came back to her a few minutes later and placed a white shirt next to her, one of his few spare clothing that he stashed in his office for emergencies, "You can wear this."

She paused and looked at him strangely, and he returned the look, "What? It doesn't hurt to be prepared."

She let out a soft laugh in to her fist, utterly amazed by how prepared he was, "I was just surprised, but it's not unexpected of you." He rolled his eyes and walked over to a corner of the room, near Yamino's desk where the tea maker, along with a makeshift kitchen, was set up, leaving her to run her fingers lightly over the fabric of his shirt, a tender emotion shimmering in her eyes.

"It comes with the job," he started to speak while he set the tea pot up to brew a fresh batch for them, "Anything can happen, when you're a private investigator." He scanned through a few containers of tea, wondering which one to select since Yamino appeared to enjoy ordering things from mail catalogs, especially food and drinks. He normally didn't make the tea, but he at least knew how to work the contraption, dropping a bag of chamomile in to the filter compartment, and turned it on.

Loki listened to her voice in the background, apologizing for coming to his office in such a sorry state, "I was already running after helping out the student council, then sensei asked for assistance!" She may have sounded exasperated with them, but it wasn't like her to turn down anyone's request for her help, and it just wasn't her willingness to aid the weak and helpless that attracted them but her bright, vibrant personality that attracted many sorts of people.

Even he wasn't spared from it.

"That weatherman is terrible!" she remarked, bringing a smile to his face, "He said we would get a partly sunny day! And I only..."

Her voice had become muffled for some reason, so the rest of her monologue was lost to him. He was pretty sure she was still ranting about the incompetent weatherman, but he wanted to listen, because as bored and disinterested he appeared sometimes, he loved the sound her voice and anything she talked about was like an adventure to his ears. Of course, he would never tell her this.

He glanced over his shoulder to see why she sounded so far away and promptly freaked out over at the sight of her school blouse being thrown over the side of the couch, "What are you doing, Mayura?!"

She half got out of her seat, twisting herself around towards him, giving a nice view of her upper body with just a bra and the waistband of her skirt. She laughed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on top of the couch, like it was the most normal thing to do in front of him, and he quickly averted his eyes elsewhere, but only after many endless seconds of staring - or was it ogling?

"Put your clothes on!" he applauded himself at keeping a steady voice, though he felt all flustered inside.

She laughed, "Loki-kun, you're being silly. How is this different from my two-piece swimsuit?"

"It just is!" he insisted, one was made for being worn out in the open and the other wasn't, but that would just get them in to a whole other debate, and he just wanted this crazy teenager to stop making him feel weird things, "Now hurry and put on a shirt!"

"Fine!" she huffed out and plopped back on the couch, returning to dry herself again, "But I have to dry myself first, or else your shirt will get wet too!"

Instead of standing around like an idiot, fuming silently and imaging a very lightly clothed Mayura, he focused on the drip of hot water into the teapot, but the sound didn't tune out the rustling of fabric, as she took her time to unfold his shirt across her lap, fingers smoothing out the small crinkles of the soft material. Still half naked, she lifted it in to the air to stare at it fully before bringing it to her chest and held it against her skin, rubbing the cool, gentle fabric to her cheek with much affection.

Her small, pointed nose buried itself within the folds and inhaled at the fresh scent of a rainy, autumn day since he hadn't worn it yet, but it was like him to use a fragrance that was subtle and comforting. She smiled and began to undo the buttons, before finally slipping each of her arms through the sleeves of his shirt, and ever so slowly buttoned them up again, eventually leaving the top three sets of buttons alone, for a teasing peek of her youthful skin.

"Loki-kun~! I'm all done!"

"Huh?"

Loki snapped out of his daydream and realized he had spent the last few minutes doing nothing but the very thing he wasn't supposed to do. He sighed, "Did you wear it properly?"

He winced at such a lame line, grabbing two cups, and placed them on the tray. He turned off the tea maker when he heard her snort amusingly, "There's a right way to wear a shirt?"

He deserved her snarking sometimes for being an idiot, but she probably reached her limit with his odd behavior today, standing next to him now in all her fully clothed glory, even though he could see the faint outline of her bra under his shirt, which looked quite appealing in his eyes. He also noted that she didn't leave three buttons undone but only two and sweatdropped at his inappropriate daytime fantasy.

He almost fumbled with the fresh pot of brewed chamomile tea, moving it to the tray, but she clasped her hands over his and guided it in to place. She then took the tray from him and brought it over to the coffee table, and he could only mindlessly follow her and sat down on the couch, next to her. She poured them each a cup of hot tea and handed one to him.

"Thank you," he said appreciatively and concentrated on the drink in hand, quietly sipping it, careful of the hot temperature, and soon he felt his body relax, earlier thoughts gradually drifting out of his mind, with the sounds of the pouring rain in the background. This was why he loved having tea breaks whenever he got the chance. It was very calming and meditative in his rather hectic and stressful life, especially when it concerned the girl right next to him.

He enjoyed her company, but the tea was very good right now, though not quite as delicious as Yamino's tea for some reason. He took another sip, trying to pinpoint the difference, but Mayura had spoken up again.

"I never thought Loki-kun was the frigid type."

He suddenly coughed, spluttering the hot beverage all over himself, nearly choking on it, and spilled some on his own shirt.

Mayura looked at him oddly again, adding, "And a bit clumsy too."

He dropped his cup on to the table and grabbed the nearest towel to wipe himself clean, giving her a sort of annoyed glare, "You're saying unnecessary things."

"Hm, that may be so," she smiled, "But it's a cute side of you."

"You're impossible!" he sighed and looked away from her, busying himself so he could hide the faint blush across his cheeks.

She took another sip of her tea, grinning widely, and then placed the cup gently on the table before leaning over to him, their arms touching, her weight pressed against his own. She half-turned her head and looked up to him expectantly, and he gave her a side way glance and sweatdropped, noticing her mischievous smile, not that he didn't like it but it normally was bad news for him.

"What?"

"Hm, Loki-kun likes me."

This girl, whether it was her words or her actions, always managed to send his mental state in to a frenzied storm of confusion, but he had more control than this. He couldn't let the funny bubble of warmth returning to his chest turn him in to an idiot, in front of this teenager soon-to-be a legal woman in another year. That thought was not very comforting either, not helping his current situation, and every inch of him tensed in preparation for any more of her surprise attacks.

Loki remained calm and met her challenging gaze with his own, trying not to lose himself to the playfulness of her deep ruby orbs, and the only thing he could resort to was to be the responsible adult. He coolly brought his hand up to her cheek, brushed his thumb over her fair, flawless skin, enjoying the shimmer of surprise in her eyes.

He smirked before he pinched her cheek - really, like the responsible and sometimes child-like adult he was - pulling on it, and she yelped in pain, flailing her arms at him in surrender, "Mou Loki-kun! You're so mean!"

He laughed and released her, and she retreated back to her side of the couch, rubbing her reddened cheek.

Reaching for his tea again, he told her, "I certainly don't dislike you."

"He~h," she suddenly beamed with a bright smile, like the sun shining through the gloomy darkness of the thick clouds and the heavy rain, though the weather outside remained the same, "Loki-kun is so stubborn!"

He blinked at her, taken aback by her quick change in demeanor, but this was Mayura after all, like the unpredictable storm of pink and cheerfulness that blew in to his life, who apparently knew him better than he knew himself. She returned to his side excitedly, taking the teacup out of his hand, and put it on the table.

"But it's okay," she giggled and turned her upper body towards him, her left leg pulled up to on to the couch, while her right hand fell on to his chest, over the spot where his heart laid beneath the surface, quickened from her touch, "I like all of Loki-kun..."

Her expression was so sweet and affection that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her, his hand clasped over hers, and his fingers caressed her knuckles and slender digits as if he was exploring them for the first time. He kept a hold of it, letting it stay on his chest, while his other hand found its way to her knee that rested against his thigh. He barely acknowledge the hem of her skirt when all he could feel was the soft, warm skin that electrified his senses.

She leaned farther in to him, her free arm propped on the couch for support, as she drew closer to his face, smiling at his far off look, like a child waiting for something good to happen. She closed her eyes and pressed her warm, supple lips to his forehead, and she heard a wistful sigh leave his lips. She felt his hands disappear from her person, only to be suddenly pulled forward in to his lap, her legs falling on either side of him, straddling his legs, her chest flushed against his own.

She pressed her hands against his shoulder, looking at him questioningly, but he only smirked in response. His left arm was snaked around her waist while the other hand reached to the back of her head, fingers delved in to her pink cascades, to guide her down to him, a few millimeters apart, their noses brushing against each other.

"I don't dislike you," he whispered huskily, his warm breath mixing with her, sending a wave of arousal through her body, "but..."

His hand in her hair drifted down to the back of her neck, while she grasped the fabric of his shirt in her fists, "I think..."

Her eyelids grew heavy like she had fallen under his spell, the mere brush of his lips teasing her became a haze, recalling a memory of their summer when she experienced her first kiss. The gentleness of his touch, careful of not harming her, guided her slowly in to comfort until she yearned for more, intensifying the impulse with more rough and passionate kisses, leaving her breathless and craving for more that only he could satisfied.

And he, happy to oblige, couldn't deny a lady's request.

It was cold and wet that particular evening in autumn, with the rain falling in to a sweet melody in the backdrop of two lives succumbing to their desires, and somewhere in all the passion, his last whispers were lost in the moment. If she had heard them, she would probably cry from his admittance. Just three simple words transcended time and space,

_"I love you."_

* * *

**Notes:** Ah, the ending came unexpectedly. I originally had them head out to a cafe, but I guess the smut in me wanted something a bit more? Lol.

Just winter left, still brainstorming this one... zzz... -kuro.


	4. Winter

**- Disclaimer:** _Matantei Loki Ragnarok_ belongs to Kinoshita Sakura.

* * *

**Seasons: Winter**

**Tomorrow of Endless White**

written by Kurosu

He brought his hands together towards his mouth, rubbing them for warmth, the heat of his breath helping just a bit to deter his freezing hands from the chilly winter evening. He never liked the cold, though he wasn't sure if it was part of his imagination that this year's winter had gotten colder, or not, but it still lacked the white snow that came with the season, still a very rare sight to see in the city.

The things he would sacrifice if he could be indoors right now, instead of sitting on the bench in wait. He stuffed his bare hands, hating the feel of fabric over them, in to the pockets of his outer coat, and pulled out his mobile phone to check the time. He must be crazy for having waited out in the cold for twenty minutes now, knowing how late she could be when they ever decided to meet in public. He returned the phone to his pocket and lifted his eyes to the lights of the shopping district dancing before him, four days before Christmas.

Many people still littered the streets - alone, in groups, hurrying or lazing about, after school, after work - but most were ready for the holiday to come, doing last minute shopping. He was not interested in holidays though, not that he disliked the celebration nor was a scrooge about it, but there was just too much fuss poured in to a day or two every year. He would prefer to just work throughout the festivities, but he never minded in letting Yamino off for the week.

But this year was different, now that Mayura was an integral part of his life. She had insisted that they spend a few days together, since she wouldn't be able to be with him on the actual holiday, spending it with her father instead, her only family member left in the world. He understood the pain and suffering of losing loved ones, having had lost his parents at a young age and then losing his uncle, his guardian, in his late teenage years, so he couldn't deny her the rare family times she had left.

He sighed, his hand in his pocket playing with the phone, rotating it in his palm, wondering what was taking her so long, and she hadn't called either. He just hoped that she wasn't planning to drag him through the cold, crowded streets when the warmth of snuggling under the covers was much more enticing, whether she joined him or not was another matter altogether.

"Need to teach her about punctuality," he murmured, his breath forming in the cold air.

The late afternoon skies was gradually falling victim to the darkness of the winter solstice, the day growing shorter by the minute, and if she didn't hurry it up, there wouldn't be much for them to do together before he would have to send her home. That was all he had with her at the moment, the few hours of the day to share with her, yet he wondered if he could brave himself to offer her something more.

A soft voice called his name, at first sounding like it was a part of his imagination, but it grew louder and more exasperated. He straightened his posture, looking up to see a flash of pink dashing through the throngs of people. Her hand was waving to him as she sped down the sidewalk, the other hand carrying a large overnight bag, and he stood up, walking towards her to meet her halfway, which pretty much had her suddenly wailing and went sliding on a patch of ice straight to him.

He was prepared - ever since the spring day when he caught her - bracing his feet on the solid ground, as she crashed in to his chest, and he caught her clumsy self, his arms quickly wrapping around her body to prevent her from falling down. He could feel her breathing heavily against him, guessing she ran all the way there, and her face was flushed, rosy-red cheeks from the cold against her warm skin, giving her a child-like glow.

"Sorry, Loki-kun," she breathed, returning his hugs, because he was so warm that she didn't want to let go, and neither did he after standing outdoors for some time, "Papa called when I was leaving."

"Is everything all right?" he asked, concerned, though he had yet to meet the man.

She pulled herself back from him, his arms still around with hands clasped behind her back, as she looked at him, "Yes, he'll be back on Christmas Eve."

She brought her right hand up his cheek and winced, "You're cold, Loki-kun!"

"Of course," he gave her a sly glance, "I've been waiting here for an hour."

"What?!" she looked horrified and then guilty, "I'm so sorry!"

He let out a small chuckle, taking her face within his hands, and placed a kiss on her forehead, "I'm kidding. I've only been out here for maybe ten minutes." He only fibbed to lessen her worry because she would wallow in her own guilt if she knew the truth, but then again, she could usually tell when he was lying to her, and from the frown upon her lips, she wasn't buying it. He could easily fool the world with mere words, but he had yet to deceive this girl, though he was certain that he never would want to, because she had always been honest and sincere with him.

"I'm fine," he reassured her and leaned down to her ear, whispering with a playful grin, "but feel free to compensate with your body."

"Well..."

She looked down shyly, her cheeks held a more vibrant red than before, an unexpected reaction that really surprised him. He was used to her laughing it aside, or scolding him for inappropriateness, but this bashfulness was another matter that threw his cool and aloof demeanor off, and it made him rather uneasy that she even considered his jest seriously. Through all their flirting and bickering, as if nothing had change since their first meeting, the subtle changes in their relationship were becoming clear to him that he never had bothered to acknowledge before.

He couldn't remember the last time he was even in a serious relationship or anything resembling a relationship with the opposite gender, much less ever considered having one with a female almost a decade younger than him, a high school student at that. To be fair, she appeared mature the majority of the time, until she opened her mouth inquiring childishly about his work, the obvious youthful curiosity would radiate from her eyes.

Then there were other times where he could see her as the beautiful woman she would become, and he would want to selfishly monopolize her, hiding his jealousy whenever she mentioned her male classmates, wanting to be the one to show her the adult world. As tempting as it was in his mind, he forced himself to remember that she was still the naive seventeen-year-old girl he first met.

Loki averted his eyes elsewhere, taking her by the shoulders and pushing her gently back to give himself some breathing room, because with her that close, he might do something impulsive, never mind that they were still in public. He released her and took her free hand, pulling her down the street and missing the confused and hurtful look she had briefly, from his sudden distance.

"Let's get out of the cold," he said in a hush tone.

They walked in awkward silence, with no destination really in mind, only the warmth of their interlocked hands was evident that neither were not alone, and as much as she wanted to breach the previous subject again, it didn't seem like he wanted to, his voice broke the strange atmosphere again, "Are you planning to go somewhere?"

She looked up to him, puzzled, and his eyes fell on to the bag in her hand, nodding his head towards it, too, for more emphasis. She made an 'oh' shape with her lips without uttering the word, and he couldn't help but stare at the pair of glossy, luscious lips, something so seductive about it that he couldn't pull his attention away.

"Um, I was planning to stay overnight," she glanced away, blushing.

"Really?" he arched his brow in surprise, and he was also curious since she didn't mention anything about it all week, "At Skuld's?"

"That's what I told papa..."

Her cheeks seemed to have become a more prominent red again, and he couldn't tell if it was due to the cold or not, but he frowned, not liking her last statement as if she was not planning to sleep over at her friend's house but something completely different that she must hide from her own father. Just the thought itself that she was being a bad girl troubled him, though that side of her was a bit attractive - if only he could focus on the more important matter.

"But it's not true," he said flatly, and she picked up on the irritable tone and met his gaze again.

"Loki-kun," she squeezed his hand, "let me stay with you."

His frown disappeared, and his brain practically shut down upon hearing her request, delight bubbling in his chest. He was tempted in asking her to repeat what she had just said, but staring in to her eager eyes, he knew he was not hearing things, and she had, indeed, asked to spend the night with him. As pleasant as it sounded, he had to refuse her because it wasn't right for it to happen, not when she was still young, and even the thought of breaking up with her passed through his mind a few times, but he could never do it.

"That's," he started nervously, wondering how to phrase it without it sounding like a rejection, "not a good idea, Mayura."

She pouted, "Why not? Why can't I stay at your place?"

As happy as he was that she wanted to stay with him, he refrained from expressing his joy, bringing a hand up to his temple, and massaged it, "Because it's not proper."

"Not proper?" she laughed, "Loki-kun, this is the twenty-first century! You know, not feudal Japan."

It was quite odd hearing him reprimand the girl for something he normally wouldn't bother with, but he cared for her too much to let her regret the decisions she was going to make. He was the adult, the responsible one to protect her from the dangers of the world, and probably himself, because he couldn't guarantee his self control when they were alone together.

"And besides, Loki-kun," she beamed brightly, a beautiful smile and trustful eyes that always melted his heart, and spoke with an unwavering voice, "I trust you."

He searched her eyes carefully, hoping to find any amount of hesitation or fear in them so he could refuse her more easily, but all he could see was the unshaken determination and trust she held in him. What was it about him that had her so fascinated with him, that she couldn't just tell him 'good-bye' and turn away and disappear from his life altogether, not that he wanted her to, but even he couldn't give her up.

There was something remarkable about her, a sort of fixation that drew him towards her that spring day, like a spell that had been casted the moment he laid eyes on her, but somehow, he felt this had happened a long time ago. He was not one to believe in fate, but sometimes, he had to wonder about it. Whenever she was with him, if felt like hundreds of emotions flooding through the gates of time.

He looked away and sighed, pinching her cheeks, "You're testing my limits, Mayura."

"Loki-kun!" she whined, rubbing her face.

"Then, we have to do something about dinner. I don't have anything at home."

She blinked, "Ah! So I can stay over?!"

He grabbed her hand again and pulled her along, still turned away from her to hide his flushed face from her view, mumbling, "Let's hurry before I change my mind."

She giggled and hurried right beside him, elated that she was finally going to see what his placed looked like, having been curious about his living space for some time now, but even more so that she would be able to spend time with him in a private setting. She was obviously happy about his decision, but he was beginning to worry over it, especially the state of his apartment when he was not expecting visitors - a bit late for that now.

Speaking of dinner, he rarely cooked meals at home because he lacked any skills, so he normally ate out the majority of the time. Now he wished he had thought it through and just flat out refused her, for both of their sakes, but now he was just embarrassing himself further.

"Mayura-"

"Let's go in there," she pointed to the grocery store at the corner, urging him towards it.

He felt so uncomfortable at that moment, being such a typical male with the bachelor lifestyle, and he just never gave it much thought, not having to worry about what someone else thought about him. Rubbing the back of his neck, he entered the store with her, and she looked around, figuring out where to begin, and peered up to him, "What do you want for dinner, Loki-kun?"

"Are we getting the pre-made meals?" he smiled nervously.

Her brows rose pretty high at his question, but she replied casually, adding a confident smile, "No, I want to make dinner."

It was his turn to look surprise, "Really? Mayu-chan can cook?"

"Of course!" she huffed out, mildly offended, and let go of his hand to walk ahead of him, "Papa worked a lot, so I had to take care of myself and the house."

She grabbed an empty basket for their future purchases, and he hurried after her, apologetic about his assumption, "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just surprised."

"It's fine, Loki-kun," she let out a small laugh, stopping in the meat department, and browsed through the display.

He joined her but wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, feeling like he had just wandered in to foreign territory, so he was just stunned at the wide selection they had before them. At least she knew what they were doing, and when he stole a glance to his side, his eyes softened at the sight of her completely immersed on the task of choosing the right meat for dinner.

"Ne, Loki-kun," she started, picking up a few pounds of ground beef and pork, and set it in to the basket, "you really don't have anything at home?"

"I'm not much of a cook," he admitted.

She gave him an amused smile, "I believe that."

"Hey now," he hooked an arm around neck and pulled her close to him, ignoring the many turns of heads in their direction at the closeness between them, their noses brushing against each other, "You're supposed to have a little more faith in me."

"But this way," she was still smiling, a proud twinkle in her eyes, "I can be useful to Loki-kun."

"Is that so?" he smirked, "I look forward to dinner then."

"Of course."

She giggled and pushed him back to continue their shopping. Her hand found its way back within his, fingers entwined, as he took the basket from her, carrying it in his free one, walking side by side like a couple doing every day things together, and somehow, it just felt right. They walk down each aisle, and she would ask him if he had this or that. He would answer her, sometimes with a few clever remarks that would send her in to a small glare or a roll of her eyes, and he would chuckle.

"We can't forget about dessert," she hummed, practically sprinting ahead to the bakery section, threatening to pull their hold apart, but he didn't let her go. A strange innate fear had grown in his heart whenever she was on the verge of leaving his side or moving out of his sight, and he wasn't sure how that came about, but he would not allow it to happen if he could, and in a few strides, he caught up to her.

At the array of cakes in the display, she pointed to a white, round cheesecake with the typical Christmas greeting written fancily across the surface and asked, "Should we get something like that?"

He shrugged, "I was thinking of chocolate."

He had much of a sweet tooth than she did, and from the sparkle of her crimson eyes, he knew he had won her over with chocolate, and he could do without the holiday decorations. After requesting a small chocolate cake for two, they were finally done with the groceries shopping, though he still wasn't sure what she was planning to make for dinner - from her selection of the meats to the various vegetables like onions, carrots, potatoes and asparagus to the few spices she deemed that his kitchen needed (besides salt and pepper) - even for an experienced detective like him.

She looked like she was having fun with his guesses too, continuing it through the checkout line that had the old ladies behind them smiling and giggling at the amusing couple. When it came to paying for the purchase, he was a gentleman, wanting to pay for it all, but she insisted on paying for half because she was so stubborn. He had to thank the nosy women, who urged her to get spoiled by him, and smiled triumphantly when she pouted in silence.

"Are you still mad over that?" he teased, carrying two of the heavier bags and holding her hand, while she carried the lighter one in the other, the overnight bag slung over her shoulder.

"No," she replied curtly, obviously still annoyed.

"You are making dinner," he pointed out, leading them back to his apartment, and at that thought of her coming to his home, he felt the sudden anxiety return.

"And you sound obligated to pay," she eyed him warily, sensing the tenseness in his body language, "What's wrong, Loki-kun? Are you having second thoughts now?"

Before he could even respond to her, she stopped them and stood in front of him, never letting go of their intertwined hands, looking deep in to his emerald eyes. Her lips were pursed in to a thin line, a slight down turn of the corners, not quite frowning yet, but she continued to stare at him with great will and resolution. Though underneath her strong facade, he could see the hint of fear and pain, similar to his own whenever he thought of breaking up with her, believing that she deserved better than him.

"Loki-kun," her voice was steady and held equal strength, the same tone she had earlier when she verbally expressed the trust she had in him, "I know it hasn't been a year since we first met, but I feel we've known each other much longer. You might think I'm still a child and these feelings I have will eventually pass..."

Her eyes lowered a bit, a faint smile on her lips, "I tried to convince myself too, but that would be lying to myself - it was a painful feeling.

"But it's even worse when I think about not being with you."

He could hear the hitch in her voice, the crack of weakness in her that came in the form of him, and the moistness shimmered at the edge of her eyes, under the luminous street lights, but she continued on, "I always want to be by your side.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same, Loki-kun," she tried to smile and blink back the tears, but they started to fall down her cheeks. She seemed surprised for a moment and let go of his hand to wipe away the wetness from her skin.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm being silly..."

"Don't say that," he finally spoke, dropping the bags at side and cupping her face within his hands, "You're not being silly at all." He leaned down to her while he lifted her face up towards him, until their noses brushed against each other and his forehead resting against hers. He was smiling, a soft, tender expression that could warm them through the winter season, his breath intermingling with hers, "Mayura..."

His lips barely brushed over hers, whispering, "I didn't think you felt the same way..."

She didn't wait anymore and pressed her lips to his own, a sweet kiss conveying all of her affections for him, and between the many more kisses that followed, in the chilly air, her quiet declaration to him was not forgotten, having found its way to his heart,

_"I love you..."_

Another day in winter was gradually coming to an end, with the curtains of night falling upon the grand stage of the world, and with the sounds of distant life lingering in the past and the hopes of a tomorrow awaiting, two lovers stood together, beneath the painted skies of white flakes.

* * *

**Notes:** That's the end, even if they all seem open ended, but this was my intention since the beginning. I had a difficult time writing this one too, though it was a little easier compared to Autumn. I changed this at least three times, lol, because I didn't want to out rightly call them a couple... nor actually have them say "I love you" to each other... *shrugs* I was being weird? Plus, I'm still iffy over Mayura getting a bit emotional on her confession, but it's AU after all.

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed it? Another completed story, yay. Bring on the _sake_! Just kidding! Let me know what you think, 'cause I kinda like writing these short pieces, and if you like them too, who knows I might write more in the future! *smiles sweetly* Thank you! -kuro.


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